Subject: D6) Why are the strongest winds in a
hurricane typically on the right side of the storm?

Contributed by Chris Landsea (NHC)

First, the "right side of the storm" is defined with respect
to the storm's motion: if the hurricane is moving to the west,
the right side would be to the north of the storm; if the
hurricane is moving to the north, the right side would be to the
east of the storm, etc.

In general, the strongest winds in a hurricane are found on
the right side of the storm because the motion of the hurricane
also contributes to its swirling winds. A hurricane with a 90
mph [145 km/hr] winds while stationary would have winds up to
100 mph [160 km/hr] on the right side and only 80 mph [130
km/hr] on the left side if it began moving (any direction) at 10
mph [16 km/hr].

Note that forecasting center advisories already take this asymmetry into
account and, in this case, would state that the highest winds were 100 mph
[160 km/hr].